Short Course Descriptions

This course is an introduction to US Space Force OPIR Programs. It is intended for Engineers and Managers who are new to the program office, and are looking for a brief overview of each of the OPIR Sensors and Missions. The additional courses listed below cover the science and engineering in much more technical detail.

This course explores the physics of target and background spectral signatures. Focus areas include blackbody emissions vs. real body emissions, earth background, atmospheric transmission, rocket plumes, and spectral band selection.

This course explores different types of OPIR Mission Payload designs and explains the physics of an OPIR sensor. Key components include sunshades, mirrors/lenses, cryocoolers, filters, focal plane arrays, and signal processing algorithms. Performance parameters discussed include sensitivity, revisit time, and probability of detection.

This short course explores different orbits that can be used for OPIR missions. Orbit types include LEO, MEO, GEO, and HEO. The benefits and drawbacks of each orbit are explained, as it relates to Coverage, Ability to Detect Targets, and Radiation Effects, Launch Constraints, and Data Transport.